"Mom I Love Clothes!"

"Look at my shirt! It has blueberries (mommy calls them purple flowers, but she's crazy)!"

"I had to put this shirt on as soon as I walked in the door!"

"As you can see, I'm pretty excited about it (I'm also very excited about being able to see my picture on the camera as soon as mommy takes it)!"

"Do you like my shades? I LOVE them!"

"I like to wear them upside down and indoors as well. I've been wearing them almost ALL day!"

"Yep! I'm cool!"

"You've gotta see these wonderful clothes. I played with them and organized them for more than 2 hours straight! Grandma sure has good taste. Here's a few of my own thoughts about these 'cute cute' clothes!"

"Oops this one is a swimsuit! Nope a tank top. No a swimsuit. I still get confused, but I told Daddy it looked way cute on him. He said boys don't wear dresses and I replied that 'just daddys wear dresses."

"I like to sway back and forth with this one while I sing 'Once Upon a Dream."

"This one is going to match me good."

"I need white sandals for this one."

"I pick this one up a lot. I think it is much cuter sweetie."

"I need white sandals for this one too. We'll get some at Wal Mart."

"Thanks Grandma for making my day!"

One Month Completed!

Woohoo! I am celebrating "One Month of Home Organization" today!

One month ago, I decided I needed a little more structure and organization to my home life. I wasn't living in a mess. I wasn't feeling like a mess. BUT, I knew there were improvements that needed to be made, and I thought it would give me something else to focus on besides the physical and emotional ups and downs of pregnancy. I've noticed that through reading we can become aware of weaknesses we didn't even know we had. We can also become aware of better ways of living and parenting that we didn't think of ourselves. I love it when I find new ideas and can implement them into my life--makes life so much better and less stressful, not to mention the spare time it creates for other interests!

I began by making a few different lists--every good organizational endeavor begins with a list right? My lists included "Daily Tasks," "Weekly Tasks," "Monthly Tasks," and a "Seasonal Cleaning Checklist." I was also feeling like my pantry needed to be stocked a little better (I've never been one to have things "on hand," and I want to change that, so I researched the topic "Stocking a Pantry" and came up with my own list of items that I felt suited our family). Side Note: Isn't the Internet wonderful for information like this?! Lastly, I printed out a monthly family calendar, which would now include scheduled family nights and regularly scheduled one-on-one dates with our family members. Then I asked my Microsoft Excel-Wiz-of-a-husband to help his Microsoft Excel-challenged wife convert all of her crazy lists into monthly charts that I could hang on the fridge. All in all, It was a BIG project with a lot of research about how different people tackle homemaking and housekeeping.

The Result? Fantastic!

I haven't been perfect, but I've managed to keep a pretty clean house for a month! I've had more free time to read. I've been adding 5 or 6 items to my grocery list each week in order to slowly stock my pantry. I've had my meals planned out a week in advance, which has resulted in 1 or 2 trips to the grocery store per week, rather than 3 or more. I know...lots of time at the store right? I also realized if I can get my grocery shopping done on Saturday mornings, my weekdays are A LOT less busy! And my biggest change was in the area of cleaning: I was doing ALL my weekly tasks on Mondays--busy from 8am to 8pm! It felt good to have it all done, but I was exhausted, and Mondays just weren't very fun and didn't have room for anything else. Now I have all my weekly tasks on a chart, and I complete however many I want to on any given day. Somedays I do more, and somedays I do a lot less, but it all gets done within the week. It's much better.

If it takes 3 weeks to form a habit, then I'm there. Too bad it takes me more like 3 months! I hope this next month will be a good one, and that I can continue to learn how to refine and improve upon what I've begun.

Tomato Basil Pizza: Recipe #4

So Easy! So Fast! So Good! My life has been getting a little more tasty thanks to the Pioneer Woman!

Prep Time: 10 min/Cook Time: 10-15 min.

Ingredients
1 Pizza Crust
1 Jar Prepared Pesto (just use as much as you need to cover the crust; you don't need a lot).
Sliced Mozarella Cheese (Grated Monterey Jack if Lactose Intolerant).
Roma Tomatoes (I used about 2).
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation Instructions

1. Smear the pesto over the pizza dough and sprinkle some kosher salt over it.

2. Cover the pizza thoroughly with sliced mozarella (or grated Monterey Jack).

4. Lay thin slices of roma tomatoes over the cheese.

5. Add a little more of the mozarella or monterey jack on top of the tomatoes.

6. Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza.

Bake the pizza according to the crust directions.

Let's Go to Church

This morning I had such a cute conversation with Annabelle!

Me: Annabelle it's time to get ready for church.

Annabelle: No mom. I don't want to go to church today.

Me (Sitting down beside her): Annabelle it makes Heavenly Father and Jesus really sad to hear you say that. They love you; they miss you very much, and they're happy when they see you at church. When we go to church, it shows we're grateful for all our blessings, and when we take the sacrament, we remember Jesus died for us so we can be happy.

Annabelle: Ok mom. We'll go. We'll go to church and I will be happy.

Who knew I'd be able to convince her with the truth?! :) Not only that, but she didn't make one complaint the whole time I was getting her dressed and ready--a MIRACLE! I was so proud of her!

I'm Getting Hot!

IT'S OFFICIAL! I've entered the hot-phase of my pregnancy! No this is not the point at which I am suddenly happy with my physical appearance, and the glow of pregnancy radiates out of every flawless pore. Nope. How nice would it be to be Heidi Klum right?

For me, the hot-phase means an internal body temperature that is significantly higher than normal...and rising (I remember feeling cold and chilly mere minutes after delivering Annabelle--it was wonderful)! And so it goes again, it seems. Body temperature goes up, thermostat goes down, windows are opened, blankets disappear in the darkness and discomfort of LONG nights (although they find a happy home on top of Josh, who knows no such feeling as "too hot"). Wish I could heap my uncomfortable sciatic nerve on top of him too, but no such luck :)

I am so happy and grateful for a June due date! Not having to sweat-out my 3rd trimester months in July and August is a welcome blessing. On the other hand, our own little groundhog crawled out of his burrow, saw the blazing sun, and retreated. Winter was just extended for 11 more weeks for Josh. Sorry baby. Keep those hoodies and flannel pants out for a while longer, but feel free to bring a tee and cargo shorts to the hospital!

Cynthia's Spicy Shredded Pork: Recipe #3

We use this meat to make Shredded Pork Tacos on corn tortillas. It's delicious! It's from The Pioneer Woman's website!

Prep Time: 20 min/Cook Time: 6-7 hrs.

Ingredients

4 (up to 7 pounds) Pork Shoulder
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Salt
Pepper to taste
3 (up to 4) Cloves Garlic
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Whole Onion
Lime Wedges
Corn Tortillas

Toppings: Tomatillo Salsa, Guacamole, Salt, Pico de Gallo, and Fresh-squeezed lime juice

Preparation Instructions

1. Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.

2. Throw the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar and brown sugar into a food processor or blender. Cut one onion into quarters and put it in the food processor with the spices. Blend mixture until totally combined and then pour it over the pork shoulder.

3. Rub it into every nook and cranny of the meat, tucking it under crevices and folds. Place the pork into a roasting pan or dutch oven and add about a cup of water. Cover tightly and roast pork at 300 degrees for several hours (I roast mine for 6 hrs), turning once every hour.

4. When it is fork-tender crank up the heat, remove the lid, and roast it, skin side up for another 20 minutes to get the skin crispy. When it's done, let it rest for 15 minutes before shredding.

5. Shred the pork well. When it's all shredded, pour the juices all over the meat.

6. Warm the tortillas in a non-stick skillet on medium heat for 20 seconds on each side. Fill with pork, guacamole, tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, lime juice and salt.

Suggestion: Josh and I like to double-up our corn tortillas and use 2 per taco (this helps the taco stay together a little better since corn tortillas can be pretty fragile). Plus it's yummy! :)

Open-Faced Meatball Subs: Recipe #2

This guilt-free recipe is perfect after a long, busy day!
Prep Time: 30 min/Cook Time: 35 minutes

1/4 cup Egg Substitute
1/3 cup Soft Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Finely-chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
1/4 tsp Pepper
Dash Salt
1-1/4 lbs Lean Ground Beef
2 cupse Garden-style Pasta Sauce
Hoagie buns, split
Softened Butter
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

NOTE: Natural cheeses where the whey is removed and the remaining lactose is "cured" are legal for people who are lactose-intolerant! Examples include: Chedder, Colby, Havarti, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Swiss, Gruyere and others. These are the cheeses I use in all my cooking.

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2.In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into meatballs, about 1-2 inches each. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center. Drain on a paper towel.

3. Place meatballs in a large saucepan. Add the pasta sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Spread softened butter on hoagie buns. Top with parmesan cheese (sparingly) and broil in the oven until cheese is melted and edges are brown and crispy (the bread should not be "soggy" with the melted cheese; it should still be crispy with a tad of melted cheese on the top).

5. Spoon meatball and sauce mixture onto bun halves and top with shredded monterrey jack and parmesan cheese. Place assembled sandwich back under the broiler until cheese on top is melted OR simply place single sanwiches in microwave for 30 seconds on high (or until cheese is melted).

Pesto Chicken Penne: Recipe #1

"A convenient pesto sauce mix provides the pleasant basil flavor in this simple chicken and pasta combination from Beth Martin Sine...This entree requires little effort, yet seems elegant."

8 oz penne pasta
1 envelope pesto sauce mix
3/4 cup milk (substitute Lactaid for lactose-free variation)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups cubed chicken
Shredded fresh parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk together pesto mix, milk, and oil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add chicken; heath through. Drain pasta. Add to the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.

Yum!

50 Recipes! My Culinary Project

I have a new project: To gather 50 recipes I can cook for my family! I say "gather" because I am not to the point of "creating" quite yet. This project will focus on making a collection of recipes to continuously draw from when planning out my weekly menus. I have found that planning a menu for one week's worth of meals, as well as completing all the associated grocery shopping by the Saturday before the week begins does wonder for my sanity, my free time, and our family together time. Usually the task of planning out my menu takes what feels like FOREVER (in actuality it takes about an hour and a half, which feels like a long time to think about and look at food)! I browse through cookbooks, browse websites, and occasionally flip through a few magazines as well. I figure of I can pull one or two meals out of a Bos family "collection" each week, it'll save me even more time in my planning. These will be meals that are tried and tested, meals that I've previously cooked, and that I know we all like. They will also be meals that are lactose-free and Josh-appropriate :)

Tonight I made Pesto Chicken Penne--a pasta dish that is quick and yummy. I have made it a few times before and we ALL LIKE IT! Therefore...drumroll please...it qualifies to enter the collection--my 1st official addition into my 1st official collection. So exciting :)

It's the Little Things

This past weekend Josh and I went on a date to Barnes and Noble. We love to hang out and relax, flip through books, read books, etc. When we came out of the store, it was snowing and our car wasn't too close. He offered to go get the car while I waited--a little thing that meant a lot. Heaven knows I didn't want to run to the car! I also can't imagine that he wanted to walk when he could run and get there A LOT faster. It ended up working out well for both of us, and I still believe nothing is HOTTER than chivalry!

This is one of my favorite pictures of him! He always looks so HOT when we're hiking. One of the things I really LOVE about him is that he always carries Annabelle on his back so she can come with us! Chivalrous INDEED!